Our first time to shine
by CauseChicasLoveStarmen
Summary: 10-year-old Berry Richardson is eager to be a Pokémon Coordinator, and enters her very first contest along with Pulsar, her Rotom. She, along with five other rookie coordinators, faces 6 experts. How difficult (or easy! ;)) will it be for them? (Note: contains some hints of Kantocontestshipping and Festivalshipping.)
1. Introduction

_Note: if the text is italic, it's the exact translation of what a certain Pokémon is saying or trying to say!_

 **Short intro**

Time drastically went by since Berry found Pulsar, her Rotom, in one of the alleys a while ago. They became really good friends ever since. Berry promised to enter her first official Pokémon Contest with Pulsar, and no sooner said than done, she went to the Hearthome City contest hall to apply for her very own Contest Pass, of which she's more than proud now. Just as soon, her siblings started making miscellaneous preparations for it.

At school, Pik made her a special contest garment during art class (after having measured her nearly thoroughly, of course), as he always loved to get creative with fabric and everything.

Back at home, after either training or earning another badge, Heart always turned on some EDM and/or techno music as Berry and Pulsar practised their improvised poses and move combinations in the backyard.

Even Chap planned a surprise dinner along with uncle Henry and aunt Alice, with all of Berry's favourite foods, in case she would become one of the chosen ones after the appeals round.

Of course, the garment and dinner were kept a secret, and Berry expected her first day at the Hearthome City contest hall to just be an ordinary one… or was it?

 _((Also, are you curious about what the Richardson siblings look like? On Instagram, you should look for the tag #barbotsOCs, with the most prominent tag being #barbotsOCBerryRichardson, in this case. This is an official (not anime-ish, sorry) art piece made by me.))_


	2. Ch 1: Nice to meet you!

"Near a tree by a river, there's a hole in the ground…" Berry sang, as she and Pulsar headed to the Hearthome City contest hall, "where the old man of Aran goes around and around, and his mind is a beacon in the veil of the night…" This was the song that she and Pulsar were mostly practising their moves and poses on.

 _Stop it_ , Pulsar said, _I've got this song stuck in my head for many days now!_

"Okay, I'll calm down" Berry sighed, "but I just can't resist it, I'm too excited, as well as too proud of the amazing dress that Pik made me!" She skipped through the doors, and took place on the nearest bench, to see if there would be other contestants, too.

The contest hall wasn't as crowded at the moment. Only a few employees and receptionists were present, as a different contest was going on already.

Berry examined herself in a near mirror. She was really proud of the dress that Pik made for her. It was candy pink, and the skirt part had a pattern of all sorts of candy and cookies. In her hair, the dark blonde wore a nonchalant ponytail with a red and white striped ribbon, which resembled a stereotypical candy cane.

 _Don't be too proud of your dress, sis!_ Pulsar chuckled.

"Of course I'm not!" Berry chuckled back, "shut up…!" She sat back, got herself a liquorice out of her purse, and gave one to Pulsar as well.

"Make sure not to feed it too much" someone suddenly said. "It may get too fat."

Berry turned to look. A pale boy with white hair, a pair of headphones around his neck, and thick, square glasses, dressed in an orange hoodie and grey trousers, happened to sit next to her.

"That's up to me" Berry said. "Can't you see we're both nervous, Pulsar and I?"

"Oh, but you're not the only one who's nervous" the boy said. "This is my first time of performing in a contest, too, and the same applies to Pixel, my Porygon." He stuck out a hand. "My name's Colin."

Berry said her name and shook hands with Colin.

"Where are you from? I'm from around here, by chance."

"Mauville City" Colin answered, "and I sure love living there, since the whole city's turned into one big mass of technology, which sure is something I love as well."

Berry nodded, as Colin sent out his Porygon to show it to her.

 _Hi there, stranger_ , Pixel beeped, _nice to meet you on our first contest._

 _Hello_ , Pulsar answered. _My owner's wish is to be the best coordinator in the whole universe, I can't wait to be one of the chosen ones!_

"Now, now" Berry said, "don't be too sure about it, Pulsie, there's no such thing as the future."

Four other people joined Colin and Berry on the bench square.

"Greetings" the snobbish girl with purple hair and a lot of casino-related accessories said. "I guess we're all contest rookies over here?"

"Almost" the blond, nerdy boy said. "I was in the appeals round previous year, too, but unfortunately, I lost, so for me, there's yet another hope of winning this year." He spoke with a British accent.

"Don't be too sure about that" Berry said. "Pulsar said the exact same thing just now." Then, her look fell on the slightly tattered beanie of the golden blond, slightly tanned small-town boy. "Hi, do you have many siblings?"

The boy nodded. "Five of them, why?"

"Your hat looks a bit tattered, that's all… and I have three older siblings. Welcome to the club of big families, I'm Berry Richardson."

"Hi." The boy shook hands with Berry. "My name's Yugo Ellis." He sent out a Pokémon. "And this is Az, my Starly, whom I've owned since my last birthday."

 _Hello, Berry_ , Az chirped.

"Now, Pulsar" Berry said, "why won't you say hi to Az too?"

Pulsar did as Berry said, but Az backed away a little, since he was a flying-type, which was a disadvantage towards the electric-type.

"Hi, I'm Grégorie" the other girl said. She had brown, curly hair, blushy cheeks, and wore a dungaree dress with a bowtie, a short-sleeved shirt underneath it, an amethyst on a pendant around her neck, and a steel, dented watering can on her head.

"Why'd you throw on those silly clothes?" the snobbish girl scoffed at Grégorie. "To get your attention? I'll have you know that I, Katherine Dice - or just Kate for short -, will be more popular than you soon."

Grégorie huffed in disapproval and looked the other way.

 _We'll see who gets most of the attention soon, guys!_ Pixel said. _End of story!_

The blond, nerdy boy sent out his Magnemite.

"My sweet Magolor Gauss is better than your boring old Porygon, Puter" he said to Colin.

"Oh no you don't, Bagel" Colin answered him back, with a smug smirk on his face.

"Bagel?" Berry chuckled. "What a funny name you have." Pulsar chuckled along with her, with the blond boy and Magolor Gauss frowning at them in disapproval.

"My name is Jeff" he said. "Jeffrey Bagel, rather quite. Nothing more, nothing less." He snapped his fingers in Colin's face to taunt him. "We've known each other for years now, since many years ago, we both attended the same boarding school in Snowbelle City, but no matter how much we tried to get along, we just keep on clashing!" He laughed out loud.

"Kate and I clash just as much, I presume" Grégorie said. "Why, I wonder… maybe because my family ain't as royal as hers?"

"Close enough" Kate said. "I happen to be one of the long-lost nieces of Grimsley from the Unova Elite Four! That's why I'm required to be the centre of attention really soon!" She sent out her Pokémon, which turned out to be a Scraggy. "Meet Grim, whom I've got from the best uncle I ever have. He's better than all of yours, after all."

Pulsar flew around Berry restlessly, getting a little impatient with every new person around it.

"By the way" Berry said, "I wonder who else will be in the appeals round soon, other than us!"

As soon as she said it, all of the participants of the contest were allowed to enter the contest field. The entire audience that sat there already was brimming with energy to see everyone perform their first few tricks soon.

"Break a leg, y'all" Berry said to her five new acquaintances, wishing them the best of luck on their first try. "Pulsar, are you ready?"

 _For sure,_ Pulsar said, _I wonder how it'll all go…_

 _((In case you're also wondering what Berry's fellow contestants look like, I have made an official (and again, not anime-ish, sorry) art piece of them on IG as well. The most prominent tags are #barbotsOCs and #barbotsOCColinPuter.))_


	3. Ch 2: Sparks, sparks everywhere

In total, there were about 24 contestants for the appeals round. One half of them were all rookie coordinators, the other half consisted of genuine experts, which included some famous ones as well, such as May Maple, who resides in Petalburg City. She, by chance, performed in the first part of the round as well, with her Blaziken.

"Wow, she's so amazing…" Yugo said, after having seen the Blaziken use a good Mega Kick on a flying disc, sending it out of the air.

"Because she did this more often, of course" Grégorie commented, "so brace yourself, in case you'll face an expert coordinator, like I will."

"And here's the second contestant to be in this appeals round" the announcer said, "all the way from Alola, sending you nothing but big waves… Sheldon!"

The boy named Sheldon looked like an aspiring coordinator, and the final move he did with his Shellder left the whole contest field glittering in miniature water drops.

 _Wow, it's like magic!_ Pulsar gasped. _That Sheldon and his Shellder sure are a good pair!_

"Aren't they?" Grégorie said. "Just wait until you see me and Jason do something identical to that…!" Jason, her Tympole, smirked in response.

"Next up is one of our absolute top coordinators!" the announcer said, "having moved from Kanto to Hoenn recently for the sake of being in love with one of our later contestants - everyone knows her - it's Solidad!"

The group of six applauded, as they surely approved of Solidad and her amazing techniques she used during every single contest.

* * *

Many rounds later, it was up to one of the six-some. And I guess you would've guessed it already… it was Berry.

"Alright, Pulsar" the dark blonde said, as she and her Rotom went onto the field, "we've practised for about dozens of times now, and now, it's our real time to shine. Are you ready?"

 _For sure_ , Pulsar said, _so let's do it!_

They started with a Discharge, which, soon enough, was shattered by a Confuse Ray, as electronical glitter floated all around the field. Next up, a combination of Discharge and Astonish was used, now with an effect that resembled fireworks, with electric sparks all going up, and then slowly floating back down.

In the audience, Berry's siblings, aunt and uncle watched in sheer excitement, as they cheered on her and admired her interesting first choice of move combinations.

Berry was awarded with two B's and one B+ by the judges and announcer. She stuck her thumb up to them, and walked back to the hallway, where many others were waiting.

"Wow" one of the many other contestants said to Berry, "for a rookie, those move combinations sure were amazing… do you and your Rotom know each other for a longer time?" It was Lisia, one of the most famous contestants from Hoenn.

"Pulsar and I have known each other for nearly two months" Berry said. "I found it in an alley, and it was all alone, and my promise was to become one of the best coordinators once I've got my first Pokémon… now here's my first step, I guess."

"I must say, you two have built up a very good bond ever since. Please, keep that up!" Lisia patted Berry's shoulder, and walked towards the door, as she would be one of the next ones soon.

"Berry, that was amazing!" Jeff said, as soon as the dark blonde sat down. "You can manage those electric moves so well, even for a first-timer like you!"

Berry just blushed and chuckled in response, and watched Pearl, a contestant from Johto, demonstrate some amazing psychic move combinations with her Spoink, on the big display screen.

The rest of the remaining contestants later, the big screen was about to show the 12 people that successfully passed the appeals round.

"Please…" Berry pleaded. "I wanna pass this round right this instant…"

"I hope I wasn't too bad…" Grégorie said, being fairly nervous.

"You all weren't half as bad either" one of the other contestants commented, "for a bunch of newbies." It was Harley, a slightly arrogant contestant from Slateport City who liked dressing up as a Cacturne.

"Not half as bad?!" Kate snapped. "Newbies?! Listen, you Iop brains. I did my absolute best to let Grim break rocks and shatter them in cute, microscopically tiny smithereens, and this is what I get?!" She took one large step forward and wanted to glare at Harley, but Berry put a stop to that.

"Why, thanks, sire!" she said to Harley, as sarcastically as possible. "You and your twin were just half as good." She winked, and next up, started whispering to her Rotom. "Pulsar, you should give that potted plant man a hug. Of course he didn't do well…"

Harley just stood there, still befuddled from Berry's comment, as Pulsar came extremely close to him.

 _Yeah, young man!_ the small plasma Pokémon squeaked. _You were amazing, may I offer you a hug?_

"What are you planning, Berry?" Colin and Kate asked.

"Nothing special…" Berry said, with a faux innocent look on her face.

Meanwhile, Pulsar had made Harley speechless, and shocked him with a hug, giggling afterwards. A few people who knew Harley well laughed at the situation.

"He'd always been like that" May said to Berry, "even during my time of my first few contests. What you just did was very well thought up by you!"

Berry just giggled in response, as Colin, Grégorie, Jeff, Kate and Yugo applauded for her.

"Look!" Jeff said, as he pointed at the screen, "the results!"

The screen showed the six-some, as well as six out of the twelve experts, namely May, Harley, Drew, Solidad, Chaz, and Lisia.

"Next week" the announcer commented, "all of these contestants will get to know their opponents. Until then, see ya!"

"Amazing!" the six-some cheered. "We're through!"

"But next week, you all will have it really tough against us" Drew said to them, "so please brace yourselves."

"We sure will" Colin said, putting both his thumbs up.

* * *

In the evening, Berry and her five new acquaintances all had Chap, Alice and Henry's planned surprise dinner at her home.

"You were absolutely amazing" Heart commented. "We did very well while practising, right?

Berry nodded. "In the final round, I'd like some music, too. At least… if I'll make it there."

"I'm sure you'll make it there, sis" Pik said, "for that, I shall make you another special dress."

"But first" Jeff said, "we'll have to wait until next week, then, we'll know who our opponents are." This made all of the others at the table laugh, as it sounded too logical to be answered otherwise.


	4. Ch 3: The first, real thing

One week has passed since Berry successfully came through the appeals round in the Hearthome City contest hall. Since, she and Pulsar had been training and practising non-stop to become stronger and better, in order to increase their chance of winning.

Right now, Berry, Colin, Grégorie, Jeff, Kate and Yugo were at the contest hall again, waiting for their opponents to be confirmed.

"I swear" Jeff said to Colin, "if you will be my opponent, I'm gonna pummel you big-time with my amazing move combos."

"Nah" Grégorie commented, "I'd rather be your opponent, Colin, it'll be like a musical battle, since you and Jason both really like that."

 _For sure_ , Jason said, _I'm gonna sing as many decibels as possible, that it'll leave your ears ringing, Colin!_

"I hope that Harley will be my opponent" Berry scoffed. "I'll teach him one heck of a lesson after what he commented on us the rookies last week."

 _I'll leave him and his twin shocked…_ Pulsar said, _both in a way of speaking and literally!_

"Now, ladies and gentlemen" the announcer's voice echoed through the hallway, "here are the contestants and their opponents for today." Just as soon, the big screens showed the selected pairs of people.

"Darn it!" Jeff said, seeing as he had to compete against Drew. "Better luck next time, Colin."

"It's okay, Bagel" Colin said, as he pointed to the screen, that also showed that he was going to compete against Solidad. "I won't let myself knock over by an expert that easily…!"

"Hot diggity, I knew it!" Berry exclaimed, as she saw that she had to compete against Harley. "Pulsar, let's wallop those two Cacturne big-time!"

 _For sure!_ Pulsar exclaimed just as enthusiastically.

Furthermore, Yugo would compete against Chaz, Grégorie became May's opponent, and Kate would take it on against Lisia.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the audience, a lot of people were busy discussing the possible predictions on the rookie contestants, including their families.

"So Colin will compete against a top coordinator?" Clara, Colin's older twin sister, said. "This really is going to be interesting…"

"Berry did her absolute best during training last time" Pik said, "so let's hope it won't be too difficult for her, since Cacturne's a dark-type Pokémon as well, which is quite a disadvantage against Pulsar…"

"Don't worry, bro" Chap said, "I think her confidence to win may just be a wish that'll come true, as we never see her give up."

"Yugo will win for sure" Glip, Yugo's second-oldest brother, said, "seeing as his opponent has a fighting-type Pokémon, which is just about perfect for Az."

"Don't be too sure, bro" Mina, the third-oldest of the Ellis pack, said, "after all, there's no such thing as the future. Yugo may lose too… not in the order of absolutely hoping so or something."

Back on the contest field, Jeff and Drew were the first ones to compete against each other. Drew sent out his Masquerain, while Jeff sent out Magolor Gauss, his Magnemite.

"You've made an excellent choice over there, young man" Drew said, "seeing as you sent out an electric-type. But once again, brace yourself, because you can't win easily if you compete against me."

Jeff started with a Charge, to get Magolor Gauss pumped.

"Drew shouldn't judge Jeff too quickly" Colin said. "Magolor Gauss is really quick in its movements."

Drew plotted some speed tricks with his Masquerain, but much to his surprise, Magolor Gauss managed to intercept them all, and save a good, strong Thunderbolt for the last, knocking out the Masquerain.

"Masquerain is unable to battle" the announcer said, "and Magolor Gauss is the winner, meaning that Jeff may pass to the next round!"

Berry, Colin, Grégorie, Kate and Yugo applauded for him.

"You did great, Jeff" Colin said, "good luck on the next round!"

 _And how about me?_ Magolor Gauss beeped. _Didn't_ _I_ _do well?_

"Of course you did good, Magolor" Grégorie said, "Colin wasn't specifically talking to Jeff, y'know?"

* * *

The next round, featuring May and Grégorie, was up really soon, which quickly resulted in a victory for May, which was ironic, because normally, the water-type would be in more of an advantage against the fire-type.

"Don't be too concerned, Jason" Grégorie sighed, as she returned her Tympole to his Poké Ball, "next time, I promise to be better if it comes to move combinations." Being able to hold back the tears, she left the field. "May, congratulations on your victory, and may your next round go well."

"Thank you very much" May said with a kind smile.

"Next up is Berry versus Harley!" the announcer said.

"Oh, brother" Berry nervously giggled, as she and Pulsar went to the contest field, "I'm really nervous about how this'll go…"

Pulsar grabbed in Berry's purse, briefly surprising her, but calming back down for a bit as the Rotom only wanted to offer her a piece of bubble gum.

"Thanks, Pulsie." Berry gave Pulsar a bit of chocolate in return.

 _Thank you, too_ , the electric and ghost-type said, _we're really going to give it our all soon. Break a leg!_ It took a deep breath, as well as Berry, to reduce their nervosity.

"Let's give it our all, dearie!" Harley said, as he sent out his Cacturne. "We'll give that sweet-tooth spark one heck of a time soon…"


	5. Ch 4: Sheer, yet sheerer excitement

"And begin!" the announcer cried out, as if it was about to be a boss battle in Cuphead.

"The professional will go first" Berry said, feeling more confident than she did just now, as she blew a bubble with her gum.

"Alright then" Harley said. "Cacturne, use Cotton Spore!"

Soon enough, the whole field contained floating cotton balls, which were hard to evade for Pulsar.

"Pulsar, use Double Team!" Berry ordered, and in the blink of an eye, it's as if there were several Rotom on the contest field now. Up next, she thought: 'I'll make sure that this round will be more difficult for him, too…!'

 _Oh dear!_ Harley's Cacturne said. _Now, which one is the real deal?!_

"That doesn't matter" Harley said, "just use Cut!" However, despite the fact that all of the Rotom copies disappeared upon being hit by the ordered move, it had no effect on the real Pulsar whatsoever, and the Cacturne's right arm was soon all covered in the sticky bits of the Cotton Spore that he used not long ago.

Berry started laughing at the situation.

"You feather brains! Don't you know that a Rotom is partly ghost-type?! Normal moves don't have any effect on them!"

 _You'd better try a different tactic next time!_ Pulsar taunted both Harley and his Cacturne.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the hallway, Colin, Grégorie, Jeff, Kate and Yugo were watching in excitement.

"That was a very good technique she just made up" Yugo said, "involving both speed and evasiveness."

"And a very sneaky one, too!" Kate said. "I never knew she had it in her… but once it's my turn, I'll show that Lisia how sneaky I really am, as I'm a niece of Grimsley's…!"

"Maybe I should focus more on speed when I train next with Jason" Grégorie said. "Berry sure is a good source of inspiration."

Back on the contest field, Pulsar was pummelled hard by a Pin Missile not long ago.

"Pulsar, no!" Berry exclaimed, being absolutely worried about her Rotom's amount of health points.

"I never even planned on going easy on you…" Harley said, smugly. "And next time we meet, you shan't expect me to do so either."

Pulsar tried its best to get back up and tried to catch its breath, being slightly fatigued after having used a lot of its speed just now.

"Pulsar, please, don't give up!" Berry yelled, having gotten really impatient now. "Use Uproar!" As soon as she said it, Pulsar was back in the game and used its ordered move, resulting in Harley and his Cacturne covering their ears.

* * *

 _Back in the hallway again…_

"Hot dawg, that sure was intense" Jeff said, "but she's so confident, and not willing to give up fast either!"

"That Harley and his Cacturne sure are a bunch of drama royals" Grégorie chuckled, "seeing as they immediately cover their ears upon hearing the first Uproar!"

"I really hate to admit it" May said, "but I sure agree with you, Grégorie. Back in my first days of being a coordinator, they were just as dramatic."

"Even though he's my husband for about a year now" Solidad said, with a chuckle, "he still hasn't changed much, so that means that I kinda agree, too." This statement made the others laugh.

Back on the contest field, after quite a while, Berry managed to exhaust Harley's Cacturne thanks to another Double Team, followed by an immense, multiplied Discharge ('multiplied' because it was used during a Double Team being active), which even paralysed the Cacturne as a result.

"We shall definitely pay that walking lollipop back with the same coin…!" Harley grumbled. "Cacturne, use, uh… Needle Arm, or something!"

The Cacturne struggled trying to use the move, which appeared to be yet another good opportunity for Berry to order Pulsar to use a move.

"Intercept it with Thunder Shock!" she exclaimed.

The Thunder Shock landed more damage on the Cacturne now, as it was already paralysed.

 _Hot diggity, man!_ Pulsar exclaimed, _that Cacturne sure took a good hit!_

"Now finish it off with another Discharge!"

And just as soon, Pulsar successfully managed to knock the Cacturne out, despite being in a disadvantage.

"Cacturne is unable to battle" the announcer said, "which means that Pulsar is the winner, and that Berry may pass to the next round!"

The audience went wild as a reaction, especially Berry's aunt, uncle and siblings, as their feeling of victory for Berry came true.

"Alright!" Berry exclaimed enthusiastically, "we gave it our very best shot, Pulsar!" She quickly put on a rubber glove so she could high-five her Rotom without getting shocked.

 _Our first genuine victory!_ Pulsar said, at the edge of crying out of happiness, _I still cannot believe it!_

"Cacturne, despite everything, you still did well" Harley said, as he returned his scarecrow Pokémon to his ball. Tears of anger stood in his eyes as he left the contest field.

As Berry came back towards the hallway as well, nearly everyone applauded for her.

"You two were amazing!" Kate said. "I really shouldn't have underestimated you prior to this."

"It's absolutely okay, Kate" Berry said, as she blew her untempteenth bubble with the gum she was still chewing on. "But really, y'all should've seen all of Harley's reactions to my techniques…!"

Yugo went towards Harley, trying to cheer him up with a bit of pep talk.

"Berry really didn't mean all of those taunts" he said. "It's just her flamboyant personality that causes it all. She's really confident about becoming universe's best coordinator."

"That's obvious to me" Harley said, "but really, I never even expected her to win from me and my sweet Cacturne, let alone that I even knew that a Rotom would be one of the ghost-type too…" He let out a theatrical sigh.

"Now remember, next time, you shan't judge a book by its cover, okay? Take care." Yugo and Harley shook hands, and the golden blond went back to the others.

"Pay close attention, Yugo and the others who still have to perform" Jeff said, pointing at the big screen. "Your turns will be up soon…"


	6. Ch 5: It ain't as easy anymore

One week ago, three more winners were confirmed during the first round. From the battle of Yugo versus Chaz, Yugo became victorious, mainly because the moves of Az, his Starly, focused on speed and the flying-type, which left Macherie, Chaz's Machoke, befuddled for sure. Kate was easily knocked out by Ali, Lisia's Altaria, as Grim the Scraggy, partly being a fighting-type, was in a disadvantage against the flying-type. And Solidad won from Colin because of her Pidgeot's amazing speed and accuracy, in comparison to Pixel, Colin's Porygon, who had a higher attack than all other stats.

Ever since, Berry, Yugo and Jeff started training again, but together this time, since they've become good friends ever since the appeals round.

* * *

Today, there were only 6 coordinators left who were still required to perform, but despite that, the other 6 who recently lost were there too, mostly to support the others.

"I'll cheer you on, Jeff" Colin said. "Despite the fact that we're each other's arch-rivals, I still like you in a friendly fashion."

Drew handed some Pokéblocks to May, showing her his support as well.

"You may not have a long way to go anymore, as there are only 6 coordinators left, but I still want you to do your absolute best soon."

"Thank you so much" May chuckled, as she and Drew shared an embrace. "I'll do more than my best."

Berry fed a few red Pokéblocks to Pulsar, as it knew a lot of moves of the 'cool' factor.

 _Yum_ , Pulsar said with its mouth full, _I can feel my 'cool' factor increase already!_

"Jeff, would you like some Pokéblocks, too?" Berry asked. "The red ones are the best for electric-type moves." She offered Jeff a few red blocks of hers.

"Thanks" Jeff said, "I think that may just do the trick." He fed them to Magolor Gauss.

 _Gee whiz, they're spicy for sure_ , Magolor said, _but I can feel it, too, what Pulsar just described._

"I'm kinda curious about how my opponent will be…" Yugo said. "Will they be going easy on me for once, or play hard to really prove themselves?"

"I'll warn you, Yugo" Solidad said, "I won't go easy on you since I'm one of the few top coordinators here."

"Me neither" Lisia said. "We may both own a flying-type, but we'll just see whose flying-type is better than the other…" She smiled and winked.

"I'm not as easy either" Berry said. "You remember how fast Pulsar was during my battle versus Harley, right? Better brace yourself, because soon, I may not be a rookie coordinator anymore."

Not much later, the next selected pairs of coordinators appeared on the big screens. Solidad would compete against Jeff, Berry was chosen to battle against Yugo, and Lisia would prove herself against May.

"Break a leg, everyone" Berry wished her five companions the best of luck, "you all may really need it." By chance, she and Yugo were the first ones who were allowed to prove themselves. "Are you ready, Pulsar?"

 _I'll show Yugo, too!_ Pulsar exclaimed. _I'll leave him and Az just as befuddled!_

"That's the spirit!" The twosome entered the contest field, partly not believing that they would compete against their new friends. "Now, Yugo, remember: don't judge a book by its cover. I won't go easy on you, like I said."

Yugo smirked, and sent out Az.

"Now go!" the announcer said in the same Cuphead fashion.

"Az, use Tackle!" Yugo ordered.

However, this move had no effect on Pulsar, since it was partly ghost-type.

 _Oh, Yugo_ , Pulsar grinned, _you silly Zangoose…!_

"Yugo, Yugo, Yugo…" Berry said, as she shook her head. "Don't you know that normal-type moves aren't effective on my sweet little Pulsar?" She let out a loud smirk. "Pulsar, use Thunder Shock!"

Pulsar's attack hit Az hard, but not so much that he'd become paralysed.

"Then, I'll show you some true spirit" Yugo said. "Az, use Wing Attack!"

The attack sent Pulsar flying, but despite everything, it was still able to battle just as fiercely.

Eventually, both opponent Pokémon used Double Team, making it really tricky to attack each other properly.

Meanwhile, in the hallway, everyone watched the battle between the two newly-found rivals.

"I think Yugo would've been better off if his Starly would've evolved already by now…" Grégorie said. "I think Berry's going to win this one, since Pulsar has the big advantage!"

"Whatever he wants" Kate scoffed. "If he wants Az to remain a Starly, like, just let him be and stuff."

"Guys, pay close attention now!" Jeff said, as he pointed towards the screen. "Pulsar's made it difficult for Az…!"

Back on the contest field, Pulsar quickly knocked Az out with one last multiplied Shock Wave.

"Az is unable to battle!" the announcer said, "and Pulsar is the winner, so Berry may pass to the semi-finals!"

"That was fast" Berry said, giggling afterwards. "But despite that, you did very well, Pulsar." She grabbed in her purse and fed her Rotom a small chocolate cup.

 _Wasn't it?_ Pulsar said, while still smacking its lips. _In comparison to Harley and his twin, it was so much easier this time…_

"Better luck next time, Azzie" Yugo said, as he returned his Starly to his ball, and went to Berry afterwards. "Berry, you did great today. Even though I lost, I still think this way."

Berry turned a bit shy. "Oh… well, uh, th-thanks I guess. You d-did great too."

"Thanks a lot. Good luck in the semi-finals."

The two shook hands as they left the contest field, so the next participants, Solidad and Jeff, could enter.

"I'm not surprised that your battle went by so quickly" Kate said. "But both of you did so good. Especially when you both used Double Team at the same time and tried so many attacks to test each other out."

"Neither am I" Berry said. "Secretly, I already expected victory for me and Pulsar…"

"I think they should've chosen Yugo and you as opponents earlier" Drew said. "Like, they already knew he was easier than most of the others."

"Or maybe they didn't?" Berry said with a smug expression.

"I think choosing opponents in contests is kinda like rolling dice" Kate said. "You'll never know how many dots will be facing upwards beforehand."

"You've got a good point there" Harley said. "They also could've let me battle against my dear Solidad, and that'd be pretty awkward, to be honest."

The next thing that the group did, was watching the contest battle start. How Solidad sent out her Pidgeot, and Jeff sent out Magolor Gauss, whose ball was now decorated with seals.

'This looks amazing' Berry thought, 'perhaps I should do this to Pulsar's ball as well?'

"Jeff should brace himself more than ever" Colin said, "as he's fighting a genuine professional at the moment."

* * *

On the contest field, Jeff managed to inflict a lot of damage to Solidad's Pidgeot with some electric attacks. However, Magolor became a bit fatigued after having used a lot of its energy, much against Jeff's expectations.

"Pidgeot, use Feather Dance!" Solidad ordered, presumably because she knew that Magolor was fatigued and wanted to use that as an advantage.

"Magolor, use Mirror Shot!" Jeff yelled. "Don't let that Pidgeot get to you!"

But before the Magnemite could attack, it was knocked out by the Pidgeot's Aerial Ace.

"Magolor Gauss is unable to battle" the announcer said, "and Solidad is the winner, so she may take a rest until the finals!"

Jeff returned Magolor Gauss to its ball, and ran back towards the hallway, being a bit in tears.

"Are you alright, Jeff?" Colin asked, as he tried to comfort his rival.

"It's absolutely okay…" Jeff sniffed. "I still can't stand losing, but this battle we had just now was amazing." He wiped a tear or two away with his sleeve, not wanting to be considered wimpy.

"Very good" Berry said. "Look at it from the positive side. This was one of the very few opportunities to battle such a professional, and you were one of the lucky ones."

In the meantime, Solidad went back to the hallway as well, and once she saw Jeff, she shook hands with him.

"You did great just now" she said, "your battle skill really is amazing, keep it up!"

Jeff simply answered with a friendly chuckle.

"Good luck in the final round, you'll probably need it."

"Thank you very much, Jeff. Good luck to you too." The salmon haired woman patted his shoulder.

* * *

Now, Lisia and May entered the contest field for the last battle of the semi-finals.

"To be honest" Kate said, "I predict that Lisia will win from May as well, since her Blaziken is partly fighting-type as well, just like my Grim." She grabbed a Pocky packet out of her purse, and gave the people near her one each, before putting one into her own mouth.

"Me too" Berry said, "but this won't be as easy, since both of their Pokémon are high-leveled, in comparison to Pulsar and Az just now."

"That's a very good point" Drew said. "The higher the level, the more difficult it gets. When the semi-finals arrive, it ain't as easy anymore."

The group watched the battle in excitement, and much like their predictions, Lisia indeed won from May. Once the two left the contest field, they congratulated each other, and May didn't seem sad, presumably because she's become slightly used to losing throughout the years.

"You sure did amazing, May" Lisia said. "You really have that coordinating spirit in you, keep that up!"

"Thanks" May said. "Now, I kind of wonder how it'll all go next week during the finals…!"


	7. Ch 6: Pumped up finalists

And yet, another week has passed since the semi-finals in the Hearthome City contest hall. Berry and Pulsar have been training non-stop again, to make sure that Lisia wouldn't stand a chance against them.

Right now, Berry was sitting at the kitchen table, thinking of a little plan to surpass Lisia easier, but she didn't really seem to know anything yet.

"Remember how a Rotom can possess certain devices?" Pik said. "Maybe that could do. What kind of Pokémon does Lisia have?"

"An Altaria…" Berry said. "Yup, I know! Pulsar, you should possess a fridge soon, so we can defeat Lisia and Ali easier, since Ali's partly a dragon-type as well!"

"But where do you guys find a random fridge?" Heart asked. "Are you guys going to look in yet another alley?"

"Maybe… or maybe not. I don't think we could use our fridge, so your option may just do the trick." The dark blonde stood up, and grabbed her purse. "I have to go now, and the contest will start in about one hour and 15 minutes. Make sure to enter the audience on time. See you."

"Okay, we'll make sure!" Chap said, as he, Pik and Heart waved at Berry before she left.

* * *

There was an alley near the Hearthome City contest hall, and by chance, an old fridge stood there.

'Perfect' Berry thought, as she let Pulsar out of its ball.

 _Yes, sis?_ Pulsar asked, tilting its head a little. (More like tilting itself, since a Rotom actually barely has anything than a head and 'arms'…)

"See that fridge, Pulsar?" Berry asked. "Mind to enter it?"

Pulsar did as Berry asked before returning itself back into its ball.

The young coordinator entered the contest hall with the most normal look on her face, pretending she didn't plan anything special.

"Hello, Berry" Yugo greeted her. "Are you planning on something?"

A simple shake of the head was the answer.

"You definitely must be…" Grégorie giggled. "I can see it in your eyes."

"Is it a plan to own Lisia easier?" Drew asked. "You know that such plans are actually my job, right?"

Berry sat down, and burst into laughter before whispering her secret plan in the group's ears.

"Pulsar is now a Freeze Rotom, which indeed is a plan to get to fight Solidad quicker, and I hope it'll really work…"

Everyone now pretended that nothing was going on as Lisia entered the contest hall.

"Well, hello everyone" she said. "It's pretty quiet around you guys, isn't it? Why is that, I wonder?"

"Well, it's kind of like this" Harley said. "The final round is near, and my wife takes a quick break in the meantime, or so they said, and we all kind of wonder how you and Berry will do soon…" He smirked smugly, but soon regretted saying 'a quick break' as Berry, Colin, Grégorie, Jeff, Kate and Yugo soon began singing the song of the same name.

When the six-some was done singing, most of the others applauded.

"You probably shouldn't have said it" Solidad chuckled. "It apparently has this as an effect for the subsequent times you'll say it, too."

Harley just sighed and facepalmed dramatically in response.

Soon, the big screens showed the participants of the first half of the final round, Lisia and Berry.

Both girls stood up, wished each other the best of luck, and entered the contest field.

"Ladies and gentlemen" the announcer said, "today's the first half of the finale of this contest, and today's round features Lisia and Berry. And I can already tell you all that this match will get red hot!"

The audience cheered enthusiastically.

"Go on, Pulsar!" Berry said, as she sent out her Rotom. "I know you can do it!"

As a reaction, most of the people who watched were surprised about the fact that Pulsar was now a Freeze Rotom, instead of a regular one.

"It's time to shine, Ali!" Lisia said, sending out her Altaria.

"Here goes!" the announcer exclaimed, once again in Cuphead style.

Lisia started by letting Ali use Dragon Dance, to warm up.

Berry let Pulsar use Double Team, hoping that both Lisia and Ali would have it a bit more difficult soon.

 _Oh no!_ Ali said, in shock. _Now there are dozens of Pulsars! Which one is the real one?_

"We'll find out soon" Lisia said. "Use Aerial Ace!"

Just as soon as the move was used, the genuine Pulsar jumped up and used Shock Wave, as Berry ordered it.

'Of course, I've got another good trick up my sleeve' Berry thought, 'but let's save that one for last…!"

* * *

In the hallway, everyone was busy predicting possible next moves.

"I think Berry's got a trick up her sleeve" Yugo said, "as Pulsar looks more different than usual today."

"Ah, so that's her secret plan" Drew smirked. "But what's so special about it?"

"That's because this Rotom form is both electric and ice-type" Colin said, "both of which types are in a high advantage against Lisia's Altaria. Oh, but that's so clever of Berry…"

"Sure is" Harley said. "I may be pretty sneaky as well, but I've never used such tactics before…"

"That's because you got owned by Pulsar earlier, you potted plant" Kate sneered. "And I don't think you own a Pokémon that's able to change forms either."

"Guys, pay attention" Grégorie said, clearly sounding worried, as she pointed towards the big screen. "Lisia's at the edge of winning now…"

Back on the contest field, Ali managed to fatigue Pulsar with an Outrage attack. However, he has gotten confused himself as well due to the long attack.

This combination of tactics made both Berry and Lisia extremely worried about their Pokémon's well-being.

"Ali, please!" Lisia yelled, being fairly impatient. "Snap out of it! You have to win!"

"Pulsar, we still got our final plan, remember?" Berry exclaimed. "Keep it up for a little longer, please!"

The audience, who became really impatient as well, suddenly began chanting the Hylian time song. Somehow, the two coordinators found this fitting to their current situation.

Berry chuckled as she thought of a plan to intercept Ali with another move, seeing as Pulsar wasn't as fatigued anymore, in comparison to its opponent, who was still very confused.

"Use Thunderbolt!"

The attack didn't only just damage the Altaria a lot, it snapped him out of confusion as well.

"So you wanna play it like this, I see?" Lisia chuckled. "Ali, use Aerial Ace continuously!"

Pulsar only got hit once, but subsequently, it kept on evading each and every hit, while in the meantime, observing where they'd come from every time as well. This continued on, until Ali fatigued himself once again.

"Alright, now's our chance, Pulsar!" Berry exclaimed. "Use Double Team, and then use Blizzard, on full power!"

The multiplied ice-cold attack immediately knocked Ali out.

"Ali, no!" Lisia exclaimed in worry.

"Ali is unable to battle" the announcer said, "and Pulsar's the winner, which means that Berry may pass to the very last part of the finale!"

"Victory for us once again!" Berry exclaimed happily, as she and Pulsar ran up to each other and shared an embrace. "This means that we can battle a genuine expert… and I already have a surprise plan for that." Meanwhile, she also fed a handful of raisins to her Rotom.

 _Lemme guess,_ Pulsar said, while smacking its lips, _I'm only allowed to transform into my current form at the last moment or something?_

"Exactly. Now, return. You did so well today."

After the Rotom got back into its ball, the dark blonde came to Lisia to thank her for the effort she put into this intense battle.

"No, thank you, Berry" Lisia chuckled. "You're one of the few people who actually managed to defeat me, one of the more expert coordinators! And your secret trick… it was amazing, too, I've never experienced such a thing before. Congratulations, you've won our battle fair and square, and good luck in the genuine finale."

The two girls shook hands before heading back to the hallway.

* * *

"Berry, you nearly shocked us just now…!" Grégorie said, "but boy, did you do amazing as well!"

"Your final tricks were utterly amazing" Harley said, "you probably inspired me for the next contest I'll be in."

"Maybe" Berry said, "maybe not. We'll see about that…"

"That's right" May said. "I've known you for a longer time than today, Harley, so I'm always prepared for your sneaky tactics during whatever contest we're in."

Solidad got up from the bench that she sat on, and came towards Berry.

"Berry, my young lady" she said, "would you mind bracing yourself for our final battle next week? Even though you may've gotten another trick up your sleeve by then?"

"Oh, but of course" Berry said, with a faux innocent look on her face. "I'll be easy to be defeated by an expert like you, after all…" She turned to the others and whispered. "Of course not, I'll try my absolute best to own her big-time."

Solidad hummed in question, not having understood what Berry just said, but the others just chuckled in response.


	8. Ch 7: The genuine end is near

The last week of Berry and Pulsar training intensively for the finale has passed. Together, they thought of some good strategies to not lose from Solidad easily, one of them being the fact that Pulsar will become a Frost Rotom when the situation becomes critical.

The whole Richardson family even went shopping for the sake of Berry, eventually gifting her a Ball Capsule and some seals for Pulsar's Poké Ball as well, since the final battle had to be the best one for sure.

One sleepless night went by, and today, it was the big day. Berry - now wearing a cosmic patterned contest dress and hair bow rather than her usual candy patterned contest garb - was very confident about the upcoming battle, and made sure that she and Pulsar were prepared as well as possible.

 _I'm a bit nervous, to be honest, sis_ , Pulsar squeaked. _Are you sure we're going to win?_

"Maybe" Berry said. "Who knows? After all, Solidad has proven to not be the easiest opponent of them all. Remember how she owned both Colin and Jeff previously? But we'll make sure to still stand ground against her, no matter what."

At the contest hall, the usual group wasn't sitting at the bench square anymore. Instead, only Yugo and Grégorie were present, with Berry not being aware that nearly all of her most recent friends and acquaintances had planned a surprise for her if she'd be at the edge of winning.

"The rest of them are in the audience already" Grégorie said. "They're dying to see you do an amazing performance… except for Solidad, of course. She's already standing on the contest field, dying to compete against you instead."

"Of course, we'll cheer you on as well, Ber" Yugo said, "as well as Pulsar, right, Az?" He patted his Starly's head with his index finger.

 _We sure will, Berry!_ Az chirped. _Good luck to both you and Pulsar, you can do it!_

Berry just chuckled in response.

"You two should go sit in the audience, too. I'll be on the contest field. Catch you guys later!"

"Yup" Yugo and Grégorie said in unison, "break a leg!"

A little nervous, Berry went to the contest field, and noticed that a random fridge was already standing far behind her spot.

'That's very interesting' she thought, 'how did they even manage to know that I'm really going to do this with Pulsar soon?' She sent out her Rotom and fed it some red Pokéblocks.

 _Yummy_ , Pulsar said, _thanks, I really needed that._

On the other side of the contest field, Solidad was feeding her Pidgeot some Pokéblocks as well.

"There you go" Solidad said. "To your last battle here, so we'll hopefully continue to the next contest in Hau'oli City soon, no matter what will happen during the upcoming battle."

 _I sure hope so too_ , her Pidgeot said, _I don't think you can tell how pumped I even am about it._

Afterwards, both coordinators returned their Pokémon to their balls to let them rest and be less nervous, and decided to have a conversation with each other instead.

"Hello, Solidad" Berry said, kindly. "Are you excited for our contest battle soon?"

"I sure am" Solidad answered, "and I can tell from you that you're just as excited. Also, were you wondering where everyone went when you came in? Because I did, and I think they must have a surprise for one of us."

"Of course, and if they have a surprise for one of us, it'd better be a nice one. I don't want to be owned by someone else in the middle of our match or something." Berry nervously shuffled her feet, which were clad in glittery, dark blue mary janes for today.

"Why do you think that? That way, we'd both be disqualified, and neither of us wants that, right? Although Harley always manages to own me with whatever he can think of, that silly husband of mine… such as when he fooled me with an exploding rose last V-day, which apparently was a classic joke that was used for May first."

Berry burst out in nervous laughter.

"Oh my Masked Man, that's just so savage of him! I hope he'll never do this to me…"

"Of course he won't, because after all, he's my one and only husband, and he also knows very well how to prank me otherwise."

Silence fell between the two coordinators. The only sound that was heard was the audience, who were muttering and whispering busily.

"I don't think Berry will win easily" Kate said, "no offense or anything, but what if she forgets her new emergency strategy?"

"Of course she won't" Harley scoffed, "she's smarter than you think, and like Yugo once said, you shan't judge a book by its cover, or something."

"Perhaps she's got more tricks up her sleeve than we all think?" Drew pondered. "I may've never battled her, but it's merely a possibility based on her unique battle style…"

"In any case" Jeff said, "she and Pulsar are literally a thousand times better than I am with Magolor."

"Oh, don't be like that, please" May said, "I've seen you battle against Drew, and you were amazing." She turned to Drew. "Am I right, dearie?"

Drew could barely hold back a blush and put up the most innocent face one could imagine, pretending he didn't understand what May just nicknamed him.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen" the announcer suddenly said, silencing everyone in the audience, "here it finally is… the genuine final round of this bi-yearly grand contest, featuring Solidad and Berry, a top coordinator versus a strong amateur. Who will win? No-one knows so far, so this sure is going to be exciting!"

Some smoke effect devices were turned on, so the whole contest field became foggy.

"A brawl is surely brewing!"

"Go, Pidgeot!" Solidad exclaimed, as she sent out her Pokémon.

"It's time to shine, Pulsar!" Berry said, as she gracefully sent out her Rotom, now occupied with special effects thanks to the heart and thunder seals on its ball.

 _I'm going to own you big-time, Pulsar_ , Solidad's Pidgeot said, _just pay close attention!_

 _No, I'm gonna wallop you_, Pulsar taunted, _and you pay attention to what my sis has got up her sleeve soon._

"It's on!" the announcer said, in the same famous style.

"Pidgeot, use Feather Dance to warm up!" Solidad ordered.

"And you use Charge to warm up too, Pulsar!" Berry said.

Both Pokémon warmed up in their own unique fashion. This kept going, until Solidad decided to disrupt the interlude with a Quick Attack from her Pidgeot, which had no effect on Pulsar, much to their surprise.

 _You silly Zangoose!_ Pulsar laughed. _Why did you never know that normal-type moves don't have any effect on me either?!_

"Oh, Solidad…!" Berry laughed in sync with Pulsar. "Why did you even manage to make the same silly mistake as both Harley and Yugo back in my previous battles?! Normal-type moves don't even have any effect on ghost-types! Think before you act, silly!"

Solidad facepalmed in embarrassment, not being familiar with either Rotom or its types in particular.

"The dumbest mistake to make even as a top coordinator… forgetting that your opponent uses a Pokémon that's also ghost-type. Solidad, get to your senses! You've seen this Rotom battle earlier twice, so don't use Quick Attack anymore for the rest of the battle!"

Meanwhile, Berry distracted Solidad and her Pidgeot by letting Pulsar use both Double Team and Thunderbolt, the last of which landed in a critical hit.

'Told them I had more tricks up my sleeve than they all thought' Berry thought to herself. 'I ain't as dumb as some people consider me!'

Solidad's Pidgeot decided to use Double Team as well, and subsequently use Aerial Ace, which landed in a critical hit as well. However, he got paralysed thanks to the last used Thunderbolt in the process.

"Pidgeot, no!" Solidad exclaimed. "Keep it up! Don't let that lame paralysis get to you!"

"Pulsar, are you alright?!" Berry yelled, being genuinely nervous now. "Please, get up, right this instant! We still got our prominent trick up our sleeve, remember?"

In the meantime, the special guest that the primary coordinators in the audience have planned, showed up, and connected her computer and turntables to the speakers and other electronic sources. She waited for Berry to apply her and Pulsar's secret trick soon.

 _That hit was extreme!_ Pulsar yelled back, as it managed to get up at the same time. _But I'm back in the game! …Shall I do it?_

Berry gave a nod, and no sooner said than done, while Solidad was still busy encouraging her Pidgeot to get up and snap out of his paralysis, Pulsar became a Frost Rotom.

At the same time, a short, electronic music effect was being played by the aforementioned special guest.

"Ladies and gentlemen" the announcer said, "put your hands together for DJ Marshmallow, our special guest!"

An applause echoed through the seats and the contest field, and the special guest, DJ Marshmallow, waved at everyone.

"It's very nice to see y'all being so enthusiastic, dear audience" she said through her microphone. "However, I ain't playing any music again until something special will happen soon. Pay attention…"

Meanwhile, Solidad became surprised because of what Pulsar had become just now.

"Pulsar, use Double Team!" Berry ordered, and just as soon, Solidad's Pidgeot was surrounded again. "And now use Thunderbolt!"

The attack hit even harder now that the Pidgeot was still paralysed.

Solidad was dumbfounded of what she just saw. She didn't even hesitate to let her Pidgeot use an attack, of which Berry and Pulsar made an advantage for their next move.

"Finish it off with Blizzard!"

The ice-cold move knocked Solidad's Pidgeot out, and left Solidad herself more surprised than she usually could be.

"Pidgeot is unable to battle" the announcer said, "which means that Berry and Pulsar are the winners of this contest!"

At the same time, DJ Marshmallow started playing some loud music, and the audience clapped along with its rhythm and beats per minute.

"Hooray, Pulsar!" Berry said, while Pulsar reverted back to its original form. The two shared a hug, literally leaving Berry shocked. "We really won… from a top coordinator?"

 _Yup_ , Pulsar giggled, _we sure did, right in front of everyone's eyes!_

"I still can't believe it… we really won from a top coordinator, right in front of everyone's eyes!"

The dark blonde and her Rotom came to Solidad, who returned her Pidgeot to his Poké Ball.

"Solidad, you did great. Your strategy sure is amazing, and before I used my little trick, I really was afraid I'd lose and stuff!"

"You did great as well, Berry" Solidad said, as she and Berry shook hands. "Really, I still cannot believe that I lost against a rookie - or should I say, secretly a prodigy - like you after all those years of winning. Congratulations to you two. You sure have deserved your ribbon."

Berry just giggled in response, and fed a miniature chocolate bar to Pulsar.

"There you go, Pulsie" she said, "you sure deserved a calorie bomb."

 _Hehe, thank you so much!_ Pulsar said, with its mouth full. _I cannot even describe how happy I even am right now!_

* * *

Later, in the evening, Berry earned her first official contest ribbon, and this event was commemorated with a dinner party in the contest hall.

"We're so proud of you, sis!" Heart said. "You're only just 10 and you managed to take out an expert, that's amazing!"

"Sure is" Berry said. "But watch out if you'll face the next Elite Four, Heart. I think they're just as difficult to defeat with their tactics similar to top coordinators…!"

"I found it funny how all of your opponents used normal-type attacks against Pulsar" Pik chuckled. "Weren't they even familiar with Rotom?"

"I sure don't think so, bro" Chap said, "otherwise, they would've made up completely different strategies in their battles against Berry, right?"

Berry chuckled, shrugged, and got herself a plate, which she loaded full of her favourite foods.

"I know how you feel, Berry" Jeff chuckled, "being hungry after having worked really hard. Back in the boarding school, I always felt like that after big projects!"

"Yeah, me too!" Colin said, as he took another bite out of his yam. "Glad we don't attend that school anymore, otherwise, we would've never even finished our homework due to our constant clash!"

"Guess who else is hungry after some hard work" Solidad said with a smile, showing her plate full of different foods as well. "A loss is a loss, and that doesn't make the food taste any worse, amiright?"

Berry, Colin and Jeff chuckled.

"So in what kind of contest will you participate next, Berry?" May asked. "Another one in Sinnoh, or perhaps one in a different region?"

"I don't know, to be honest" Berry said. "Still, it's not a bad idea to participate in a foreign contest someday. It really sounds like a lot of fun, too."

"Take all of the time to think about it" Solidad said. "After all, this was only your first win at your first contest. Me, I'll be heading to Hau'oli City in Alola soon for my very next contest."

"That sure is amazing, Solidad. But if it comes to me participating in a foreign contest, I think I'm just going to start in Hoenn or Kanto or something, both of which aren't too far away from here."

"Sounds like a good idea" Colin said. "We may just see each other again there, since most of us, including me, are from Hoenn, too!" He and Berry laughed in a friendly fashion, in unison.

All evening long, Berry had lots of fun with her friends and acquaintances, and even received presents from some of them (and ironically, none of them has been a prank present from Harley yet!), as they secretly had the feeling that she'd really win the final battle, which sure is something that she and Pulsar are genuinely proud of.

 _((A few more facts, as this is the conclusion of the story... did you know that I indirectly appeared in this story? Yup, DJ Marshmallow really is me... as playing music happens to be one of my hobbies besides writing. Also, are you curious about how Berry's outfits look? The most prominent tag on IG is #barbotsOCBerryRichardson for an official (still not anime-ish, sorry!) art piece of it, made by me. Thank you all for reading, and have a nice day! ^w^))_


End file.
